Eyes Shut Tight
by MysticalElfGirl
Summary: (A sequel to Eyes Wide Open) Marik's dead...or is he? It seems he had one last trick up his sleeve for Yami and Yugi. They survived last time, but as a new, more dangerous game begins, will they both make it through? More lives are at stake, and you can be sure that it won't be easy.
1. Chapter 1

**HIIII. ^.^ So, this is a sequel to my last story **_**Eyes Wide Open**_**, which was a huge success! I had so much fun writing it; in fact, I loved it so much, I decided to make this sequel. Now, to my new readers, I think you will be able to understand this one without reading my last fic, but it will make soooo much more sense if you read EWO first. Most YamixYugi fics start off with the main couple—this one doesn't. That's why I'm suggesting you read it so this makes more sense. I promise you'll like it! **

**Also, a special shoutout to AnimeHannah, who suggested the title for this sequel. I was totally at a loss, and when she came up with the name I was like, "Oh, duhhhhh."**

**Anyway, be sure to leave me a review and tell me what you think, especially my old readers who encouraged this story. You guys rock!**

**-Mystie**

Chapter 1:

Joey Wheeler stuffed his hands deep within his jean pockets as the autumn wind bit through his thin jacket. It was awfully cool for an early-September Sunday afternoon. Ordinarily, he would be out enjoying his final evening of summer vacation, as school started up again the following day; however, he hadn't felt like doing much of anything for the past three or so months. Moreover, he hadn't seen his partner-in-crime Tristan since late May before school had let out for the summer. In fact, the last night he had seen Tristan had been the night he had started feeling like this—a bit down, alone, and indifferent. He was certainly no stranger to trouble or mischief; he and Tristan had well over thirty run-ins with the police between them, and he himself had spent a year in a juvenile detention center for one of his many petty offenses. Ordinarily, he would be using the freedom of summer vacation to add to his rap sheet, but he simply couldn't find the motivation to do so. The night he had last seen Tristan, the two of them had been out pedaling on their bikes around the far outskirts of Domino looking for trouble. After a few hours of shattering old windows and taunting cops, they had found themselves bored—that is, until they found exactly what they were looking for to give life to their dull night:

* * *

"_Yo, Joey, look over there," Tristan said, pointing towards the first signs of life they had seen in quite some time._

_They both stopped pedaling. Joey squinted his eyes to get a better look in the dark at what his friend gestured at. "Looks like a buildin' or somethin'. Let's check it out." They rode towards the area quickly, coming to a halt when they came to a path slightly blocked off by bright yellow caution tape. They exchanged knowing glances and smirks._

"_Never stopped us before," the brunette said with a laugh. They pedaled through the tape with matching chuckles. They stopped again when they realized just how tall and dilapidated the building was. It was even missing a wall five or so stories up. There were various old construction vehicles all around them, rusted and tarnished and missing parts. They both let their bikes fall to the ground as they decided to explore. They looked upwards as they walked, Joey leading the way. Oh, this was going to be too good. So much to break and destroy and no witnesses in sight. They paid no attention to where they walked—minds racing with possibilities—until Joey nearly fell flat on his face as he tripped on something solid._

"_Shit!" he called, regaining his balance at the last second. "What the hell is that?"_

_The brunette approached the hindrance slowly, his face darkening. "Dude, is that a body?"_

_Joey advanced and looked down. "Oh, shit, it is!" he yelped, though his expression showed his excitement. He bent down and nudged the corpse's arm. It was icy cold. The poor guy had been decapitated, his head lying to the side with a wide, one eye staring blankly towards the sky. The whole body looked as if it had been badly burned. "I don't think it's been here long either, Tristan."_

"_Dude, we gotta call the cops," Tristan said steadily, already reaching for his phone in his back pocket. "Ugh, stop that, man! That's disgusting!"_

_Joey had picked up the severed head, tossing it lightly in the air as if it were a football. He smiled at Tristan's horrified expression. "Quit being such a baby, bro. It ain't gonna bite 'cha," he said with a laugh. "And we ain't callin' no one. Them cops've been waitin' on some dirt on us to throw us into the big house. Whaddya think they're gonna do when they see us out here alone with a dead body, genius?"_

_Tristan hesitated, then slid his phone back into his pocket. "Then what the hell are we supposed to do? Just leave him here?"_

"_Well, first, let's have some fun!" Joey said, tossing the head to Tristan. Out of reflex, he caught it with disgust, and lobbed it back to Joey with a girlish squeal. Joey caught it again, sniggering at Tristan's antics. "You're such a baby!"_

"_Screw you, man!" Tristan shouted, wringing his hands as if he had just touched something poisonous. "What the hell are you doin! Put it down! Let's get the hell outta here!" Joey was holding the head in front of his face, acting as if it was his own skull. He paraded around, drawing closer to the repulsed Tristan. He laughed deeply, fully amused. He stopped when Tristan tripped over his own feet trying to escape, barely able to keep from crying._

"_Aw man, I'm just foolin' around. Chill out," he said with a giggle. He held the head back up, turning it so that its eyes faced his own. "This dude must've pissed someone off somethin' fierce. They damn near burned his face off."_

"_Just put it down, man. It gives me the creeps."_

_Joey was about to reply with a snarky comment, when he noticed the one open eye begin to glow. He stood in shock before being enveloped in a dark light. The power sent him backwards, and he landed with a cry. Tristan had seen enough. Joey was his friend, but this was just too much. He took off in the opposite direction towards his bike like a bat out of hell, and pedaled towards town fiercely. Joey groaned as the light diminished, bringing his hand to his head. He opened his eyes slowly, his vision unclear._

"_What…the hell?" he stuttered, taking in his surroundings._

* * *

As he had awakened, he was surprised to not find Tristan there with him anymore. Sure, he had known that Tristan had been creeped out by the dead body and severed head, but they had been through a lot together. There was no need to leave him alone like that. Hell, he could have been dead. In his defense, Tristan had tried calling him later that night to check on him; in fact, he had attempted all summer to get in contact with Joey and apologize, but Joey ignored him. Not only was he a bit pissed for him leaving him out there alone and vulnerable in an unfamiliar part of town (not that he couldn't take care of himself or anything), but ever since the moment when he had been knocked on his ass by that freaky head, he had felt…different. He was starting to get terrible migraines at least three times a day, and any light made him cringe. Throughout the entire summer, he had been holed up in his room with the lights off and blinds shut tight. He had started blacking out, often waking up in alleys or near the park with no memory of the entire day or how he had gotten there in the first place. Once or twice, he had woken up with the coppery-salty taste of blood on his tongue and teeth. More disturbing was the fact that he had awakened in the same location well over twenty times. It was almost always near this little yellow game shop with a green roof near the city, almost as if he was being drawn to it by some sort of intangible force. He had no idea of its significance, only that he was starting to dream about it.

Moreover, Joey was starting to think that he was going insane. The blackouts and memory loss he could blame on stress or his own absentmindedness, but on what could he blame the voices he was starting to hear? It was deep and menacing, and he was beginning to be afraid. He had gone to the library—a place that certainly felt alien to him—and done a bit of research on his condition. Mental illness? _Schizophrenia_? He was relieved to find that he wasn't alone, that obviously enough people had been experiencing these voices for it to be well-documented; nonetheless, it didn't help that the people usually associated with this illness weren't exactly…the most highly thought of. Furthermore, according to his research, the most common cause of schizophrenia was supposedly genetics, and he was sure that no one in his immediate family had ever been hospitalized for this. Sure, his pops was an alcoholic asshole, but when he was sober, he was an all-around good guy. While he didn't know too much about his mom due to his parents' divorce, he was pretty sure she was mentally stable. Why did he suddenly get the crazy genes? What's more, whatever was happening to him seemed to stem from that freaky head he had messed with. He had a feeling that what he was hearing was real.

Only he had nowhere to turn.

What could he say? "Pops, I'm starting to hear stuff in my head"? "Yo, Tristan, every now and again I wake up with the taste of blood in my mouth"? He would be locked up in a hospital high off his ass from medications being pumped in his veins. Besides…the owner of the voice in his head had done him no harm…at least not yet. He had tried resisting the impending blackout one night, trying with all his might to keep control; yet, it was as if he was growing weaker and the voice was getting stronger. It was common for him to be conscious for no more than a quarter of the day now. It was terrifying, but he always woke up in one piece without a scratch. If he had to coexist with some weird voice in his head, at least the guy was courteous.

Now, he was on his way back home after working up the nerve to check out the little game shop he kept being led to and dreaming about. He had decided to take the bull by the horns, and when he began the familiar path towards the shop, he felt a pang of excitement in his chest that he knew was not his. Something about this place or the people in it made the owner of the voice stir eagerly. Upon arrival, he couldn't see why. The Kame Game Shop was much tinier than all the other shops he'd been to in Domino, and while they had quite a bit of customers for a Sunday afternoon, it wasn't all that impressive. There were kids scurrying about, dragging frustrated mothers along with them, and a few guys he recognized from his own school. It was nothing spectacular or special. When his eyes landed on a short, old man with spiky gray hair under a yellow bandana, Joey again felt the stitch in his chest, as if the owner of the voice knew him. It was faint, but there. But when he continued his survey of the shop, he spotted two teens that he think he recognized from school. The smaller kid…his name was Yumi, Yuri…something like that. He was an outcast at school. Joey even remembered picking on him every once in a while for his outlandish hair. He felt his heart start to pound against his chest like a drum upon seeing the kid, and he knew that this Yuri kid had something to do with why he continued to be drawn to the shop. He was sitting in a window nook casually playing some card game with a taller lookalike. The taller kid was much more intimidating looking, with sharp red eyes that definitely freaked Joey out. Even in his own relaxed position before the smaller kid, Joey knew that he was definitely not someone to mess with. Nevertheless, he had no control over the wave of sheer elation that overcame him when he saw him. The voice knew him for sure. There was something about this eerie teenager.

"Uhm, hello? Can I help you with something?" the smaller kid asked. Without realizing it, he had advanced quite close to the pair and was now standing but a few feet from them. Staring. He jumped three feet out of his skin, especially when those narrowed red eyes were turned on him. He didn't speak, only observed him with silent regard, as if trying to read him. Joey felt the presence of the voice retreat immediately.

"I-I, no, my bad," Joey stuttered, beginning to back up. The smaller kid stood, tilting his head in question.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "You're Joey, right? I remember you from school."

"Yeah, sorry. I gotta go." With that, he rushed out of the entrance to the game shop, not slowing down until he was but a block or so from home.

The apartment he and his dad shared was in view now, just as the sky was beginning to dark to a dark pink-orange, and he had only answered one of his questions. Why was he being drawn to that game shop? Obviously because those two kids from school intrigued the voice in his head. Joey snorted. He really was starting to sound crazy, but he suspected that if he could give this voice what it wanted, it would go away. Maybe…maybe he should try talking to it? He shook his head, ridding himself of the thought. A quest for another day. He stopped when he saw a familiar face pacing outside his building. Tristan looked up as if expecting him, straightening up and stuffing his own hands in his pockets awkwardly. Joey raised an amused eyebrow, crossing his arms.

"Whaddya doin' here, man?"

Tristan shifted his eyes to the ground. "I've been trying to call you, dude. Can we talk?"

"Talk."

"Somewhere not so…public, maybe?" Tristan replied curtly. He gestured to an alley beside the apartment building. Joey rolled his eyes, but gestured for Tristan to head into the alley. He followed close behind. He could feel himself starting to lose control…he was going to black out. He had to deal with Tristan quickly.

"What."

"First of all, where've you been, man? I've called you over a hundred times since…that night."

"That night?" Joey feigned poor memory, tapping his chin with his index finger. He snapped as if he suddenly remembered what Tristan meant. "Ohhhhh, you mean the night you left me for dead?"

"Don't you think you're overreacting, Joe? I mean, I told you I was freaked out."

"Screw you, Tristan. I thought we were friends, but I see that you ain't shit when the goin' gets tough." Joey spat to the side, feeling the edges of his vision starting to darken. He fought stubbornly to keep control. "As for where I've been, well, that ain't your concern. If I wanted to talk to ya', I would've."

Tristan snorted. "Me? There's been plenty of times you bailed on me, bro."

"I'm not your bro, you insignificant waste of flesh." Joey's eyes widened. Okay, that wasn't his voice dishing out that insult. He was losing this fight. He gripped the side of his throbbing head.

Tristan began to back away slightly. "Whoa…dude, what's wrong with your eyes? They're…they're turning black."

Joey turned away, closing his eyes to try to focus on retaining control of himself. It wasn't working. It was as if he was forcefully being dragged out of consciousness by a power significantly stronger than him. He groaned, falling to one knee. "Ugh, no, no, stop!" he shouted, shaking his head. He felt a timid hand touch his shoulder. Tristan was speaking to him worriedly, but he could only see his lips moving. Something snapped, and he was ripped from his own body. The last thing he saw before completely succumbing to unconsciousness was Tristan's blood painting the brick walls.

* * *

**Slight disclaimer: I had/have no intention of offending anyone with the talk of schizophrenia in this chapter. I recognize that it is a documented mental illness backed by years of research and whatnot. Remember, that that was meant to be from Joey's POV, and he's not exactly a character to hold back, is he? He's more of a "say what you're thinking" kind of guy, and this is how I imagine he'd be thinking at the moment. No offense to anyone who may suffer or know someone who suffers from this illness.**

**Now, I really hope you guys enjoyed! Pleeeeeeease leave me reviews! They make me so happy!**

**-Mystie**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello all! Thanks for all the reviews, as well as the follows and favorites. I'm glad I decided to go ahead with the sequel! Let me know what you think!**

**-Mystie**

Chapter 2:

Yugi pulled his school jacket on, frowning at the itchy material on his arms. It had been a long, great summer, and the school uniform felt stiff and uncomfortable against his skin since it had been over three months since he'd worn it. He adjusted his collar, checking himself out in his mirror. It felt strange to be up so early and waking up in his own room after spending most of the summer wrapped in Yami's arms in his apartment. They had spent nearly every moment together—eating ice cream, going to the park, swimming…among other things. Yugi's cheeks turned pink. He had even taught Yami how to skate. It was quite a sight seeing his usually poised and regal Immortal struggling to stay on his feet, his legs wobbling and quivering like a newborn calf. After a day's worth of lessons, Yami had ultimately given in, preferring to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground. However, the memory would always make Yugi smile.

Now it was the second week of September, and school was starting up again today. Ordinarily, Yugi would be nervous, if not downright afraid. Returning to the prison that confined him with a list of bullies and tormentors for almost eight hours five days a week was not the most reassuring. For the past two years of high school, he had basically been tortured and terrorized by guys that towered over him. Now, things were different. He was an upperclassman now, a junior, and just that feeling alone gave him the slightest boost of confidence, even if he was at least a foot shorter than every other junior in school. More than that, though, was the fact that he had no reason to be afraid anymore. No one ever dared bully him with Yami around, as Yami made his protectiveness known with nothing more than his own intimidating presence. In fact, since their last run-in with Marik, Yugi hadn't gotten so much as a bruise. Yami watched him like a hawk, checked on him frequently, and defended him from anything or anyone that even appeared threatening. He shivered. The thought of Marik was enough to make his old wounds ache, and even now he suffered from the occasional nightmare about Marik brutalizing and violating him. Yet, Yami was always there to kiss the bad dreams away, and they would slowly fade to nothingness in the back of his mind. Still, as harsh as it sounded, he was glad the psychotic Immortal was dead, and he and Yami could live in peace.

"Yugi!" Grandpa shouted from downstairs. "Yami's here!"

Yugi smiled. Grandpa and Yami had gotten quite close over the summer, as well. The older man appreciated Yami's guard over his grandson, and thought that he and Yugi made a fantastic couple. Yami had even helped out in the game shop over the summer, as the store's hours lengthened during the summer season. Grandpa certainly appreciated the help, and would often reward him with a cup of his favorite tea or a box of strawberry-flavored pocky. Yugi used to wonder how his grandfather would react to his being gay, even though he himself had no idea that he was even attracted to men until he met Yami. Sexual orientations felt so trivial and laughable when it came to the person who completed the other half of your soul, who gave your life purpose and meaning. Yugi didn't prefer men over women or women over men; he preferred Yami over anything. Nonetheless, Grandpa still had no idea that Yami was an Immortal, and Yugi intended to keep it that way. It was safer for all of them if he just remained ignorant.

With one last look in the mirror, Yugi pulled his backpack on his shoulders and headed downstairs, where he found Grandpa and Yami casually joking and laughing as usual. They stopped when they saw Yugi, both with smiles on their faces. Yugi returned the grin. "Hey, Yami, ready for school?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, Little One," Yami replied with a slight shrug. He held out his hand and Yugi intertwined their fingers.

"What about breakfast, boys?" Grandpa suggested.

"Nah, that's okay, Grandpa. We'd better get going," Yugi said. He and Yami waved goodbye as they headed out the door towards school. Forever the gentleman, Yami took Yugi's backpack and swung it over his own shoulder, then re-laced their fingers together. It was already humid outside, and by the looks of it, the day was going to be rather warm and sticky.

"Did you hear the news last night? A kid from our school was murdered last night," Yugi said sadly, shaking his head. The late-night news last night had flashed a picture of the victim, and though he didn't know him personally, he was sure he had seen him around campus a few times. He was always around that Joey kid who had shown up at the game shop the previous night, and Yugi remembered that the two of them stirred up quite a bit of trouble around Domino. Even so, the news of Tristan's death made Yugi's heart hurt.

"I did. It's a real shame. They said that he was slaughtered beyond recognition. The only way they could identify him was through the ID in his wallet. The police have no leads at all. The case will more than likely run cold." Yugi shivered involuntarily. A murderer on the loose? Was he targeting Domino youth? As if reading his mind, Yami squeezed his hand reassuringly. "You don't have to worry, Little One. You know I won't let anything happen to you."

Yugi half-smiled appreciatively. "I know, Yami. It's not just that. I'm worried about all the kids at school, not just myself." Yami's eyes softened. Yugi never ceased to amaze him with his genuine concern for others, even those who certainly didn't deserve it. The kids he worried about harassed him on a daily basis, yet he still wished for nothing more than their safety and happiness.

"It will be fine, Yugi. If it makes you feel better, I will do night vigils of the city until this murderer is either caught or leaves the city. I do not want you feeling unsafe."

"Really?" Yugi asked, the school grounds starting to come into view. "Are you sure, Yami? I don't want you to get hurt either."

Yami snorted as if the idea was inconceivable. "I won't. It's nothing more than a human pest."

* * *

Although the school day was going by smoothly, Yugi couldn't help but miss Yami even more than usual. After spending so much time together throughout the summer, it felt odd to only see one another during breaks. Yami was also a senior this year—at least for all intents and purposes—and the senior building was secluded and quite far from the junior building. Upon entering school grounds, the administration had set up a memorial shrine outside the main building with a picture of Tristan surrounded by small candles, flowers, and words of endearment. Some students left their own cards and trinkets, and even more grieved his loss. The ones who knew him seemed to be devastated, while those who didn't were more interested in how the murder had happened. Nothing like this had ever really happened in Domino, and it sent the school into a buzz of gossip and unease. Now Yugi was in his final class before lunch, and Yugi was watching the clock and tapping his fingers impatiently on his desk. The first day of school was always so repetitive. "Welcome to my class" and "We're going to have a great year" and "Here's your syllabus for the year" and "Let's all get to know each other." Yugi could only think about being with Yami again.

He did notice, however, that he shared this class with that kid who had shown up at the shop last night. Joey was his name. For some reason, Yugi had always thought that he was at least a grade ahead of him, and this was his first time he had ever had a class with him. What was odd, though, was the fact that Yugi knew for a fact that Joey and Tristan had been close, yet Joey seemed to have no emotion for the loss of his friend. Every time he saw one, he usually saw the other. They were infamous school pranksters and borderline bullies; Joey had even tried locking him in one of the lockers in between classes one day last year. With them being so close, Yugi had half-assumed that Joey would have either skipped school today or at least appear as distressed as some of the other Tristan's friends. Yet, he sat stoically at his desk throughout class, almost appearing to be bored. Yugi knew he was no academic scholar, and by no means did school seem to be his favorite place to be, but this indifferent façade slightly concerned Yugi. He had caught Joey staring at him, as well, as if he wanted to say something to him, but every time Yugi caught him, Joey immediately turned his attention elsewhere.

The lunch bell brought Yugi out of his thoughts, and he looked around, noticing that most of the students had already filed out of the classroom towards the cafeteria building. Even the teacher had turned to his desk and brought out his own packed lunch. Yugi stood and started packing his backpack, eager to get to meet Yami at his locker. It would take some time for Yami to arrive, so he didn't rush. Suddenly, someone stood behind him, and Yugi jumped at the presence behind him. It was Joey. Yugi wasn't exactly surprised—he had half-expected that Joey wanted to speak to him—but that didn't make him any less wary and uncomfortable. He and the blonde teen didn't exactly have the best history.

"J-Joey? Hey, what's up?" Yugi asked nervously.

"You're Yugi, right? You live in that game shop."

"I-yeah, that's right."

Joey offered him a small smile, raising his hands in surrender. "Chill, man, I didn't mean to freak you out or anything. Just makin' conversation."

Yugi relaxed, but only slightly. "Yeah, I know, sorry."

"You headin' to lunch?" Joey inquired.

"Uhm, not yet. I'm going to my locker first to meet someone."

"That Yami kid." Yugi nodded slowly, surprised. It was surprising that Joey even knew his name, let alone Yami's. "Well, I'm goin' that way. Mind if I walk you there?"

"Uh, sure, Joey." Well, as peculiar as this whole situation was, Yugi figured that if he wanted his questions answered, this would be the way to do it. They started towards Yugi's locker at the very end of the hall. "So…I'm really sorry to hear about your friend."

"Who?"

"Tristan?" Yugi said incredulously. "I-I mean, I just assumed you guys were friends."

"Oh, yeah. Thanks, man. We were pretty close, I guess." Joey said uninterestingly. Perhaps he and Tristan weren't as close as Yugi had presumed. That would explain why Joey was acting so impassively. They stopped before his locker, and Joey looked at him expectantly.

"Joey? Why did you come to the game shop last night and leave so suddenly?" The question had been nipping at Yugi's mind since it had happened. Joey shrugged.

"I dunno. Was just browsin' around, I guess. Then I had to go do somethin'." He buried his hands in his pockets. "That's not why I wanted to talk to you, though."

Yugi blinked. "Then…what?" Joey moved slightly closer, uncomfortably so. Yugi was almost pressed against the lockers behind him. He furrowed his brows in confusion. "Joey?"

"I wanna get to know ya," he replied softly. Yugi swallowed, finally meeting his eyes. They had darkened lustfully, and Yugi's heart started to beat frantically in his chest. This was starting to remind him of something he was fighting desperately to forget. Joey brought his hands to Yugi's cheeks, thumbing them softy. Yugi gasped. What the hell was happening? He felt paralyzed, although he wanted to move. It was as if he _couldn't_. Joey was moving closer, his eyes darkening so much that they were almost black, and Yugi felt his head tilting upwards involuntarily. No…no, he didn't want this. Joey's eyes slipped close.

"What in the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?" Joey immediately dropped his hands, his eyes turning to the source of the voice. The trance Yugi was in instantly severed, leaving him in a dazed state of confusion. His head hurt now, and he blinked hard a few times to lift the cloud from his mind. Suddenly, Yami was between the two of them, standing protectively in front of Yugi. Yugi glanced around him, noting that Joey's eyes had lightened back to their original honey brown, and he wondered if what had happened had all been in his head. Joey seemed shocked, but not afraid.

"Just havin' a conversation, bro. Relax." Joey smirked, happy that he was getting under Yami's skin.

"That looked like more than a conversation to me. You have no right to touch him." Yami's eyes narrowed. "He's not yours to touch."

"I didn't hear him complainin'," Joey continued, the smirk deepening to an outright sneer. He glanced behind Yami at Yugi and winked. Yami growled.

"Don't let me see you near him again," Yami stated definitively. The unspoken "or I'll rip you apart" lingered between them. Again, Joey seemed unfazed, pushing his hands back in his pockets. He started back down the hall towards the exit, winked again over his shoulder, and smiled.

"See ya' soon, Yug'."


	3. Chapter 3

**Yay, two chapters in one day, just like I used to. Haha. Don't forget to review guys! I appreciate it! ^.^**

**-Mystie**

Chapter 3:

In Yami's opinion, the first day back to school was going by painfully slow. Then again, every school day seemed to pass by sluggishly. He was over five millennia old, for Ra's sake, and he had repeated high school more times in more places that he could count for appearance's sake. There was little that any of these instructors could teach him that he didn't already know from years of repetitive schoolwork. He had read Shakespeare in more than eight languages in places all over the globe, memorized every arithmetical equation necessary, and stomached down so many government-mandated lunches that he had grown tired of the monotony. Besides, every inch of him craved Yugi. The summer had been fantastic—they'd made love more times than he could count—but now he had grown so accustomed to being around him that it was almost painful to be so far from his little one. Well, at least he was done repeating high school after this year. Yugi would graduate the following year, and then they were free to do whatever they wished. If Yugi wanted to continue with school, Yami would follow him. If he wanted to move away and travel the world, Yami would be right beside him.

This calculus class was exhausting—the teacher was already trying to give a lecture to no avail. No one was paying much attention. The students' brains were still on summer mode, and trying to mix in mathematical algorithms was trying to mix oil with water. Yami felt sorry for the new teacher. He would learn that the first day was for introductions and relaxation soon enough. Yami glanced at the clock hanging above the whiteboard. Three minutes until lunch. Three minutes until he saw Yugi. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably, suppressing a groan. Three minutes too long. He wondered if Yugi was as impatient as he was, if he was watching the time wind down, too. Finally, the bell rang and Yami quickly packed up his things and headed out the door. Unfortunately, he was further from Yugi this year, so he walk-ran towards the junior building. This would be the longest break he would get with Yugi until upperclassman study hall seventh period, when the juniors and seniors all squeezed into the library to "study." The building came into sight, and Yami opened the door quickly. Most students had already cleared out for lunch, and the hall was almost silent save for one familiar voice and one that wasn't quite as used to. Yami narrowed his eyes. It wasn't as if Yugi wasn't social; in fact, ever since the two of them had become close, Yugi's confidence had started to blossom, and he would often talk to others casually now instead of trying to avoid them. What bothered him was who the voice belonged to.

Yami had never personally met Joey Wheeler, though his reputation preceded him. He was not exactly thought highly of by any form of authority, often getting into trouble with the law and the teachers. He was no Ushio, but he was some kind of bully, and Yami knew kids like him would prey on someone as sweet as Yugi. Even if he had been ignorant of Joey's character, something about the blonde had put him off the previous night. He acted odd, just staring at the two of them as they played Duel Monsters by the window. Yami had felt…something. He didn't know what it was or what it meant, but something about the kid had made the hair on the back of his neck stand. Maybe familiarity? Not likely. But _something_. The feeling had disappeared before he could identify it. He didn't like him. He certainly didn't trust him. Now he was around the one person in this world Yami cared for, and Yami would have none of it.

He turned the corner that led to Yugi's locker, peeking at the pair. All seemed fine at first; the two of them chatted coolly, though Yami could see that Yugi was a bit nervous. Perhaps he got the same off-putting feeling about Joey that Yami did. As the conversation continued, Yami began to wonder if maybe his overprotectiveness had simply clouded his judgment, and that Joey was just a normal douchebag and not a threat.

That was until he saw Joey make a move on Yugi.

He almost had Yugi pressed against the lockers, and Yugi seemed frozen, entranced even. It was as if he couldn't move from fear. Yami's eyes widened. Who the hell did this kid think he was? Yami himself felt frozen from shock, but quickly got over it, darting towards the pair instantly.

"What in the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?" he demanded. His voice almost cracked from the sheer anger pumping through his veins. He felt Yugi lean against him slightly. Joey's snarky responses did little to slacken Yami's rage. He ordered that Joey never come around Yugi again, and stared him down until he exited the building. When they were alone, he released a shaky breath. That kid was really pushing all the right buttons to get himself beat down, and had it not been for their location, Yami might have given in to his fury. He exhaled deeply to calm himself and turned to Yugi. His eyes were dazed and unfocused, and he gripped his head as if in pain. "Yugi? Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" he asked quickly, fearing that he had gotten to Yugi too late. Yugi shook his head, both in response to the question and to clear his clouded mind. His amethyst eyes finally focused on Yami.

"I'm fine, Yami…what happened?"

"That creep can't take a hint, obviously. I should have ripped his head off," Yami growled. He took Yugi's hand and headed towards the courtyard. Yugi let Yami lead, still a bit confused by the whole situation. They reached the yard and picked a spot by the fountains, sitting on the crisp grass. Yugi shrugged his jacket off. It had gotten rather warm. Other students sat sporadically around the courtyard enjoying their lunches. Yami pulled Yugi into his lap, hugging him close. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Just have a little headache, I think," Yugi replied with a smile. "I can't believe that happened. Joey was acting really weird."

"Indeed," Yami agreed, biting his lower lip. That could have been a lot worse than it actually had been. "Yugi, I want you to stay away from him. Promise me."

"Yami, it's not a big deal, really," Yugi assured him.

"Promise me. Something about that kid…I don't like it." Yami shook his head. "I don't trust him around you, and he obviously has no respect for me."

"He's just a flirt," Yugi said, dismissing the thought. Though he had been surprised by Joey's actions, he hadn't hurt him or anything. "Trust me, Yami, please? I'm okay."

Yami sighed. He had no proof that Joey meant Yugi any harm, just that he was an oversexed teenager who obviously had a thing for Yugi. That didn't make the feeling go away, though. Nonetheless, Yami had to show that he trusted Yugi, even if his judgment could be a bit biased at times. He nodded firmly, dropping the subject. He wouldn't let the actions of a hormonal teen ruin his lunch with Yugi. Yugi pulled out sandwiches for them both from his backpack, and Yami smiled. No matter how many times he had reminded Yugi that it was unnecessary for him to eat human food, Yugi still insisted, packing him a sandwich or something similar everyday. They enjoyed lunch in peace, Yami sneaking in kisses to Yugi's neck or temple between conversations. It wasn't long before the situation with Joey disappeared to the back of his mind.

* * *

The next two periods after lunch flew by, and Yugi couldn't have been happier that this day was coming to an end. He tucked his ordeal with Joey in the back of his head. He hadn't seen him since, after all. He knew Yami was still disturbed by the whole thing, but Yugi truly felt that it was nothing more than a typical attempt at PDA that went bad. Joey wasn't a bad guy. He was just…well…a guy. Still, when the bell released him from chemistry to study hall, he scurried to the library, just in case. He was unprepared for the amount of students crowded in the large building, most of them chatting away instead of getting any kind of work done. All of their hushed whispers creating a dull roar within the library, and Yugi scanned the throngs of people for any sign of Yami. It was basically impossible for him to see past all of the students who were quite taller than him, and he struggled to spot the unique mane of hair he and Yami possessed. It was no use. Besides, he had gotten to the library rather fast. It was likely that Yami wasn't even there yet. He found an empty table in a corner near the entrance, hoping that when Yami arrived, he would see him. To pass time, he reached into his backpack and grabbed a deck of Duel Monsters cards, flipping through them. He had recently added a few new spell cards and traps to his collection, and he enjoyed browsing through them. He almost jumped when two hands were placed in front of his eyes from behind and warm breath was on his neck.

"Guess who?" Yugi felt his heart skip a beat. He figured Yami had slipped in and caught him off-guard, but this voice definitely didn't belong to him. The accent was hard to miss.

"J-Joey?" The hands were removed, and Yugi turned and was met with golden brown eyes and a smirk. "What are you doing here?"

Joey helped himself to a seat and scooted next to Yugi. He took a quick glance around. "Your overprotective boyfriend ain't here?"

"He's on his way…is there something you wanted, Joey?" Yugi asked. He didn't mean to sound rude, but this was a bit uncomfortable. He had dismissed the situation in the hall earlier, yet here he was again. This time, Yami was nowhere in sight.

"I told'ja, Yug', I just wanna get to know ya," Joey replied with a smile, his chin resting in his palm.

"Like…as friends?" Yugi asked, trying to thwart his attempts.

"Hmm," Joey hummed, "somethin' like that. Why don't you take a walk with me to the park tonight? We can get to know each other plenty."

Alarms rang in Yugi's head. "I don't know if that's a good idea actually."

"Aw, c'mon, Yug'," Joey lifted his hand to push a bang out of Yugi's face, then forced his face towards his own. "What could happen?" Once again, Yugi found himself staring at darkened eyes, and once again, his head drummed loudly in his ears. He was unable to look away. Joey's eyes had gone from a bronze-y brown to the color of mud, and were still blackening. Yugi's peripheral vision disappeared, and all he could see was Joey. Was he even breathing? He wasn't sure. "Come with me, Yugi."

"I'll…come with you," Yugi found himself saying. No, no, no, take it back! But he couldn't. Joey's smile deepened mischievously.

"I'll see you at eight."

* * *

**Bad Joey. No means no! haha, let me know what you think!**

**-Mystie**


End file.
